


Something Just Like This

by ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol, Disapproving Family, Drinking & Talking, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, If you only read one work by me, Injured Dean Winchester, Injury Recovery, Inspired by Music, Kissing, Making Out, Monster of the Week, Mutual Pining, POV Third Person Omniscient, Pining, Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Swearing, Third Wheel Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-02-28 15:51:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18759562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie/pseuds/ilikebigassbuttsandicannotlie
Summary: Dean dislocated his right shoulder a few days ago on a werewolf hunt, so he's needed help with just about everything. Usually that falls to Sam, but when Jo is around and Sam isn't, it falls to her. Which means a lot more physical contact than her poor heart can take.NOT A SONG FIC! I was just listening to that song while writing this because it fit.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know if you enjoyed, or if you have an idea for something to happen next! Happy reading! :)

Jo is sat at the only table in the motel room, conducting research- or rather trying to -on their current case. She's bouncing her knee underneath the table as she rereads the same paragraph again. To no avail, however. She curses herself because she just can't get her mind off the fact that her crush is fully nude, in the shower, not 20 feet from her.

 

This whole trip has been like this. Dean dislocated his right shoulder a few days ago on a werewolf hunt, so he's needed help with just about everything. Usually that falls to Sam, but when Jo is around and Sam isn't, it falls to her. Which means a lot more physical contact than her poor heart can take.

 

To add insult to injury, Dean taking a shower was not only a sexual frustration problem for Jo; but she was also alone which means when he gets out of the shower, he's going to need some help getting dressed.

 

Just then, she hears the water stop. Her heart picks up the pace as she continues to listen for any word from him asking for her help. Luckily he had a shower sling, so he wouldn't need any help there. After a couple minutes of shuffling, he exits the bathroom in his jeans, holding a t-shirt in his left hand.

 

He looked around the room, "He's still not back, huh?"

 

"Yeah." Jo only got a glance before meeting his eyes, and it took every ounce of self control not to look at his wet, bare chest.

 

He nodded, staring at an invisible spot on the wall before turning his attention back to her, "Hey, uh..... would you mind helping me with my shirt? I'd ask Sam, but... you know."

 

"Oh, yeah, of course." Jo stood from her chair, her heart rate escalating further.

 

She took the shirt from his hand and he leaned forward to help her get it over his head. She wasn't doing Dean's heart any favors either; it thumped in his chest at her closeness, the touch of Jo's skin to his, however brief, igniting a fire in him. The heavy aroma from his body wash ignited something in her as well.

 

They stared each other in the eyes for a moment too long to be platonic, before Jo reached her arms around his neck. Goosebumps grew beneath her fingers at the nape of his neck and his eyes widened, parting his lips ever so slightly in expectation, at least until she pulled the sling over his head. Luckily she hadn't been looking. He took a deep breath, pulling himself together.

 

He winced through gritted teeth as she removed the support from under his arm and he replaced it with his left forearm.

 

"Sorry." She apologized, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth.

 

"It's fine." He reassured.

 

"So um... how do you want to do this?" Jo asked, her chocolate doe eyes staring up at him.

 

"Just pull the sleeve as far down as you can and I'll lift my arm and slide it through." He sounded confident enough, but Jo could see in his eyes that he was dreading it.

 

Jo did as he asked, and he winced again as he had to move it through the sleeve, " _Fuck_ ," he exhaled.

 

Jo quickly grabbed his sling and put it on for him.

 

"Thanks." He smiled softly at her.

 

"No problem," She smiled back. "So... you never told me how you got it dislocated."

 

He grabbed a beer and took a seat on the couch, and she sat across from him at the table, "A werewolf tackled me and I landed on it."

 

Jo winced just thinking about it, "Yikes."

 

"Tell me about it. I've had it before but this is definitely the worst."

 

"Damn... you should've become a football player. Same amount of injuries but at least you would've been making millions of dollars doing it." She joked.

 

He cackled, "Yeah, I wish."

 

Dean picked at the corner of the beer label with his thumb, "Have you made any progress?"

 

"Oh," Jo chuckled, "Uh, no. I haven't read a thing."

 

He smirked, "I feel ya. It's fine, Sam loves that boring crap."

 

"Hey, unless you dislocated your eyeballs, you can help me."

 

Dean sighed, pushing himself up off the couch and pulled a chair up beside her, "Alright, what are we lookin at here?"

 

Jo watched his bright green eyes scan the page. He peered over at her, "What?"

 

"What?" She answered innocently.

 

"You were staring."

 

"No I wasn't. Get over yourself." She scoffed, turning back to the book.

 

"Okay," Dean smirked, with clear disbelief in his tone.

 

A half hour passed, and still no progress.

 

"Ugh." Dean groaned, slumping back in his chair. "Well that's half an hour I'll never get back." 

 

"Come on, I'm sure we can find something in here." Jo said optimistically, turning a page.

 

The familiar purr of the rumbling Impala interrupted them. Sam stepped inside, tossing the keys to his brother.

 

"Hey," Sam greeted, setting down two grocery bags on the table.

 

Dean stood, digging through the bags with a grin that quickly dissolved into disappointment.

 

His younger brother shrugged, "They were out of pie. Sorry."

 

Jo got on her feet, "Well, now that you're back, it's my turn to shower."

 

After methodically gathering clothes from her bag, she retired to the bathroom.

 

Dean waited until he heard the water turn on, guaranteeing she wouldn't hear him. He let out a sigh of relief that he could finally voice this, "Dude, she is driving me _crazy_."

 

Sam exhaled exasperatedly, "When are you going to actually do something about it?"

 

He scoffed, "Are you kidding? Ellen would skin me alive."

 

"Well, you either have to do something, or get over it. You can't just keep pining over her."

 

Dean tapped his fingers on the table pensively, eyeing the wall.

 

His mind then began to wander, to where it often wanders: her. And, unbeknownst to him it wandered to the same subject she was thinking about earlier. On the other side of that wall he was staring at, she was showering. Dean fought with himself, _don't picture her naked. Don't picture her naked._

 

Unfortunately, it's a catch-22. When trying to stop yourself from thinking about something, the more you think about it.

 

"Dean!" Sam called for the tenth time, causing his brother to jump in his seat.

 

"Geez, what do you want?!"

 

"You were spacing out, I was talking to you."

 

"You were?"

 

"Yeah. What were you thinking about?"

 

"Nothing. I wasn't thinking about anything. Nothing."

 

A wicked grin spread across Sam's face, "You were thinking about Jo."

 

Dean scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Shut up. I was not."

 

"You were practically drooling."

 

"Do you have anything important to say or are you just harassing me?"

 

"Both." He grinned. "But the important thing can wait until Jo gets back."

 

Dean shook his head, turning away from him and taking a generous sip of his beer.

 

"So, when are you going to make a move on her?"

 

"When are you going to shut up?"

 

"Dude, if you don't do something soon, I'm gonna say something."

 

That got his attention. He gave him a warning glare, "I swear to god, it'll be the last thing you ever do."

 

"Good. Then I won't have to listen to you complain about her all the time."

 

When Jo turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, she could faintly hear them arguing about something. She ignored it, drying off, and quickly dressing before returning to the boys. The air was thick with tension and neither was saying a word. Jo looked to Dean, "Okay, what did you do?"

 

Dean scoffed with furrowed brows, "Why do you assume _I_ did something?"

 

"Because you _always_ instigate these stupid little fights."

 

Sam chuckled, warranting a kick from his brother.

 

"For your information, I was just sitting here quietly and Sam wouldn't stop bugging the shit out of me."

 

"Yeah? And what were you doing or- thinking about while you were sitting here quietly?" Sam pestered.

 

"You see what I'm talking about? He's just being annoying."

 

Jo sighed, "Have you two gotten any work done?"

 

"Well, _I_ did." The younger Winchester boasted, "Look."

 

Dean got up from his seat and joined Jo beside his brother as he read aloud. She was on his left side and in order to see the book better, he had to lean against her. His left thigh pressed against the back of her right, half his chest flush with her back. Her wet hair kept her cold, and his warm breath against her neck left goosebumps on her skin. The two uncomfortably aware of each point of contact, they could hardly concentrate on- whatever creature he was talking about.

 

"And get this." Sam pointed at a paragraph of fine print.

 

Sam continued reading the page, again falling on Dean's deaf ears. He couldn't take this anymore. He had to say something to her.

 

"Okay, so I say we get a good night's sleep and we go out and hit it in the morning." Sam suggested.

 

"Sounds good." Jo agreed and made a beeline for the fridge for something to eat.

 

Dean swallowed a deep breath, "Hey, Jo? Can I talk to you outside for a sec?"

 

Her heart began to beat hard inside her chest, anxiety swelling, "Uh, sure."

 

Jo followed him out and Dean shut the door behind them. "I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I just can't take it anymore. I have to come out and say it."

 

"Okay," Jo stared up at him, her eyes wide and hopeful. It was finally happening.

 

That was until her phone started to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket, "I'm so sorry I have to take this, it's my mom. You know how she gets if I don't answer, she'll think I'm dead."

 

"Yeah, go ahead. I can wait." Dean slid his free hand into his pocket and leaned against the wall as she took the call. He tried to infer the conversation from the half of it he could hear.

 

"I don't know."

 

"We found out how to kill it, we're going after it tomorrow morning."

 

She sighed, "Well we're like 16 hours away but Dean doesn't obey speed limits, so it'll take less than that whenever we leave."

 

"No, you can't."

 

"No."

 

"Because you're being ridiculous-" She paused for about ten seconds, listening. She rolled her eyes and held the phone out towards him, "She wants to talk to you."

 

He took the phone, "Hey, Ellen."

 

Now it was Jo's turn to listen.

 

"No ma'am, I always follow the speed limit." He winked at Jo, causing her heart to flutter and blood to rush to her face.

 

"No, I'm not lying. Jo's just exaggerating because she likes to give me a hard time."

 

"Five miles over at most, I swear."

 

"Of course. More like she's taking care of me, because of my shoulder," he chuckled.

 

Ellen asked, "I trust you're keeping things professional?"

 

"Yes ma'am."

 

"You better not be lying to me."

 

"No ma'am."

 

"Because if I find out you did-"

 

"I know."

 

"Good. You can give Jo her phone back."

 

"Yes, ma'am. Have a good night." He handed Jo her phone.

 

After saying their goodbyes, Jo hung up, "I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that, she wouldn't take no for an answer. What was it you wanted to tell me?"

 

After talking to Ellen something snapped inside him, he couldn't let the consequences hold him back anymore. He whispered under his breath, _"Fuck it."_

 

Dean snaked his left arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, crashing his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he mumbled, "God, you've been driving me crazy."

 

"You're one to talk," She said between a kiss, "Waltzing out without a shirt, making me help you put it on..." 

 

He chuckled against her lips and she slid her right hand under his shirt and up his chest. He flinched slightly when her fingers grazed his side and she made a mental note of that for later. He exhaled at her touches and slid his tongue past her lips, deepening the kiss. 

 

Meanwhile, Sam was on the phone with Ellen, "I promise you-" he peeked through the curtain and froze for a second before stepping away, "-uh, nothing but professionalism." 

 

"Why did you pause?"

 

"Sorry, I'm just tired. It's been a long day."

 

"Well, get some rest. You'll need it tomorrow."

 

"I will."

 

"And Sam?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Make sure your brother follows the speed limit. I would hate to lose Jo on a hunt but I'd kill him if it was because of a stupid car accident."

 

"Yes ma'am."

 

Jo pulled away from him, her lips curled against her will into a smile when he met eyes with her. "Before we continue, I need to know something."

 

"I like the sound of _continue_ ," He smirked, "Shoot."

 

"Is this just a one time, what happens on a hunt stays on a hunt type of thing, or... Is this real?"

 

"I'll stay for as long as you'll have me." He wore a cocky grin, but the look in his eyes was genuine.

 

"Good answer," She pulled him down for a kiss and he smiled against her lips as he embraced her again. 

 

"So..." He spoke against her lips, "Should I tell Sam to beat it?"

 

Jo wanted so badly to say yes, God knows she's thought about it (more than she'd care to admit), but her better judgement, well... got the better of her.

 

She chuckled and pushed away from him, "I don't give it up that easily."

 

"I bet you wouldn't be saying that if I didn't have my shirt on," He smirked.

 

"Maybe not," She mirrored his expression, eyeing him up and down. "Come on, we gotta get up early tomorrow." Jo spun on her heels and went back inside.

 

Dean bit his lip as he watched her walk away. He stayed outside for a moment, letting himself cool off from their passionate session before heading inside.

 

"Thank God, I thought I'd die of old age before he finally acted on it." Sam quipped.

 

"Yeah, and when was the last time you kissed a girl, smartass?"

 

"Two weeks ago. When was the last time you even flirted since you met Jo?"

 

Dean glared at his brother, a look that told him he was going to pay for that later. However, Sam didn't care and stared back with a cocky expression, arms crossed.

 

Jo grinned in amusement and raised her eyebrows at Dean, "Wait, you haven't gone out with anyone since you met me?"

 

"I've been busy." He dismissed, avoiding her gaze as he passed her, returning to his seat at the table.

 

Sam scoffed, "Yeah, busy daydreaming about Jo." 

 

"Alright, that's enough," Jo intervened, "I think it's sweet." She ran a hand over Dean's shoulder as she passed him on her way to the bathroom.

 

"I'm surprised, I thought you two would be getting a room." Sam commented as soon as she was out of the room.

 

"I wish," He chuckled and took the last sip of his beer, "No, she's not the type. Which is good, I respect that..." He stared at the bottle in his hands, picking at the label some more, "But you know..." 

 

"It's been awhile?" Sam added, completing his thought.

 

Dean let out a sigh, "Yeah. Tell me about it."

 

He already started to speak as Jo came out, "So, what are you planning to do about Ellen?"

 

Jo joined them at the table, "We'll just tell her the truth. You lied to her face and proceeded to make out with me." She joked, eliciting a laugh from Sam.

 

"It's not like she even believed me anyway." Dean defended. "Besides, I already lied about following the speed limit so, what the hell?"

 

"Yeah, cause that's exactly the same to her."

 

"In her mind the worst case is either you get hurt in an accident while I'm driving, or you get your heart broken by me, either way she kills me."

 

"He has a point." Sam chimed in.

 

"I guess..." She conceded. "What are you going to tell her?"

 

"I don't know," He stood and tossed the empty bottle in the trash, "That's tomorrow Dean's problem. I'm going to bed." He took a step towards the bed and stopped. He turned around, "...right. Uh, Jo, you can take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch."

 

"No, you can't sleep on the couch with your shoulder like that, you should take the bed."

 

"I'll be fine, you take the bed."

 

"No really, you should have the bed."

 

"That couch really isn't comfortable, you shouldn't have to sleep on it. I don't mind, I've had worse."

 

"You know... There is another option," Sam hinted, shooting a look at his brother.

 

"You're right." Jo agreed.

 

Dean raised his eyebrows at her, "You'd be okay with that?"

 

"Absolutely." 

 

"Okay, great. Um.. How do you want to do this, like head to toe or-"

 

"Oh, no, I wasn't talking about me. I would get the one bed, and you and Sam can share the other."

 

"No. No way."

 

Sam grimaced, "I would rather sleep on the floor."

 

"Come on, you guys are brothers. It's a lot less weird than me sharing a bed with Dean."

 

They both shook their heads in unison, "No, it's way weirder." Dean argued. 

 

"You're just saying that because you want me in bed with you," She cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

Sam grinned in amusement looking to his brother for his rebuttal.

 

Sure, she wasn't wrong, but he wasn't going to let her win the argument, "I'm not gonna try something with you if that's what you're thinking. Even if I wanted to, I've only got the one arm- my non-dominant arm."

 

Jo stayed silent for a solid ten seconds looking back at him, thinking on it. "Fine. We don't have to sleep head to toe but you cannot sleep in your underwear."

 

"Deal."

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their successful hunt, Dean and Jo end up sharing their own room. Jo gets in a fight with her mom, Dean gets in a fight with a stranger, and they top off the night with some stargazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I wanted it to be longer before I posted it and inspiration for this story was gone for a little while. Please let me know if you enjoyed, or if you have an idea for something to happen next! Happy reading! :)
> 
> Also when I reference the sides of the bed, I'm talking about the side you'd be on if you were laying in the bed, not standing and facing the bed.

After changing, Sam shut off the lights and retired to his own bed.

  
Jo had changed into pajamas after her shower, so she simply got into bed.

  
Dean didn't have pajamas, however, so despite some discomfort, he had no choice but to sleep in his jeans.

  
As he pulled back the covers, he couldn't help but notice her position on the bed, "You sleep on the left side?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"Huh. I sleep on the right." He laid beside her, pulling the covers back up.

  
"Hm," She hummed in response. "Weird."

  
They were both on their backs, staring at the ceiling above them. Suddenly, sleep was far out of their reach, they were wide awake. Uncomfortably awake in their closeness.

  
Jo stayed silent until she was certain Sam was asleep.

  
She whispered, "Are you awake?"

  
"Yeah," Dean replied, matching her volume.

  
She paused, "I hate sleeping alone."

  
"Me too."

  
She turned on her side, facing him, slid her hand over and grabbed his, intertwining their fingers.

  
He looked over to meet her gaze but her eyes were already closed. He smiled softly and closed his eyes himself.

 

  
The following morning, Sam awoke first. He got up, and on his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth, glanced over to the two of them and stopped in his tracks. He smiled and nudged Dean's foot carefully, enough to wake him up but not enough that it would wake Jo.

  
He stirred awake and Sam gestured towards Jo for him to look.

  
Gaining consciousness, Dean realized she had her arms wrapped around his waist, and her head rested on his shoulder while his arm was along her back. He couldn't help but smile himself as he looked over at her.

  
Sam continued on with his morning routine and Dean turned to check the alarm clock. 6:00am. He grimaced and decided he'd get up at 7.

  
Dean turned back to Jo, just taking a moment to appreciate her sleeping so peacefully. It dawned on him that he'd have to take her home at the end of the day, and suddenly one more hour in that bed didn't feel so long. He didn't want her to leave today. He didn't want her to leave... maybe ever.

  
Maybe he could figure out a way where she'd have to stay longer. Especially considering that when he drops her off, he has to come clean to her mother.

  
So, he'd just have to come up with something to keep her here longer by the end of the day.

  
Suddenly, Jo started to wake and pulled him from his thoughts.

  
Jo opened her eyes and, just as Dean did, realized her position as she gained consciousness. Her eyes widened, heart thumping against her chest. She tilted her chin upwards to check if he was still sleeping- only to find him looking back at her with a cocky grin. She froze for a couple seconds, heat rushing to her cheeks.

  
"Morning," he greeted in a smug tone. "Did you sleep well?"

  
Jo let go of him and pulled away, "Shut up."

  
"I'm just asking... cause you looked pretty cozy." He continued to tease.

  
"Don't look at me like that, I can't control what I do in my sleep."

  
"Sure, but that just means that you wanted to do it subconsciously."

  
"I was just cold, okay? I would've done that with anyone."

  
"Uh huh."

  
She shook her head as she got up and out of bed, "I'm gonna make some coffee."

  
He chuckled to himself and readjusted, trying to get a little extra sleep.

  
Jo sipped at her coffee and Sam came up beside her to pour a cup himself.

  
"Is he gonna get up?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

  
"Soon, he's a slow riser. You'll get used to it."

  
"I take it he's not a morning person?"

  
"Oh _god_ no," he chuckled. "He gets up easier with coffee, though. He'll be up in a second if you have breakfast."

  
She laughed lightly, "Good to know."

 

  
After finishing her coffee, Jo returned to Dean for a wake up call. She set a mug on the table beside him, and nudged him awake. "I don't know how you like it, so I just left it plain. You can add whatever you want."

  
He sat up, taking a sip from it, "No, this is perfect. Thank you."

  
"You like it _black_?"

  
"Mhm," he hummed as he drank from it. He set it in his lap without letting go, "Why? Can't stomach it?"

  
She shook her head, her nose wrinkled.

  
"I guess I'm just tougher than you," he grinned before taking another sip.

  
"Or you just have lower standards."

  
"Whatever you wanna tell yourself."

  
Jo rolled her eyes. She grabbed clean clothes from her bag at the end of the bed and headed to the bathroom, "I'm going to start getting ready, you should think about doing that in the next century."

  
"Hey, you made me sleep in my clothes, I'm ready."

  
She shut the door without a response.

  
"You might want to ease up a little." Sam suggested, sitting on the edge of the opposite bed.

  
Dean chuckled, "She's not _actually_ mad, Sam. We're just giving each other a hard time. It's kinda our thing."

  
"Whatever you say," Sam shrugged. He stood and started getting this things together.

 

  
It wasn't too long after that they were all packed and ready to go. As they headed towards the car, Jo and Sam reached for the handle of the back door at the same time. Dean hadn't noticed, and just got in the car.

  
"Oh, I thought you'd want to sit in the front seat." Sam explained.

  
"I mean.. I _can_ , I don't want to just take your spot if you want to sit there."

  
"No, go ahead, I don't mind. Plus I can stretch out back here if I want."

  
"Okay," she shrugged, playing it off casually even though it kind of made her nervous. She shouldn't be. They made out yesterday. They _slept in the same bed_ yesterday. Not to mention she woke up spooning him this morning... Maybe that's what made her nervous. It was all very fast and come to think of it, she still wasn't sure exactly what their relationship was. There wasn't exactly time for the boyfriend-girlfriend conversation.

  
She got in and Dean glanced over, a grin spread across his face, "Well this is a nice change of scenery." Especially considering she was wearing a tight black tank top and jeans that hugged her thighs perfectly, with tears that revealed just a little bit of skin. His eyes couldn't help but wander.

  
She took notice, "Just keep your eyes on the road, buddy."

  
"I'll _try_ , but you're not making it easy."

 

  
Soon after, they stopped at a diner for breakfast. They settled on a booth, Sam sat on one side while Dean and Jo sat on the other.

  
Sam stepped away to use the restroom, and Jo figured now would be as good a time as any to talk.

  
"Hey, can we talk?"

  
Dean set his menu down and turned his attention to her, "What's up?"

  
They probably didn't have a lot of time, so she decided to just be blunt, "What are we?"

  
Without any hesitation he answered, "Boyfriend and girlfriend." He then paused, "Well... I thought that's what you meant last night, is that what you meant?"

  
She chuckled out of relief, "Yes, just.. this whole thing has been a little confusing."

  
"I'm glad you said that, I was thinking the same thing. I mean, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, I don't know what's appropriate."

  
"Me too! Usually a relationship has steps but in a span of 24 hours we jumped rope with the steps."

  
"Yeah," he laughed.

  
"So... Should we just start from the beginning?"

  
"Okay. I'm Dean, what's your name?"

  
"You're an idiot," She said between a laugh.

  
Sam returned to the two of them, laughing and smiling at each other. As he sat down he eyed his brother with a snarky grin.

  
Dean looked back at him with a scowl, knowing full well what that look was supposed to mean.

  
Jo looked between the two of them, "Am I missing something?"

  
"It's nothing." Dean shot another glare at Sam before focusing on his menu again.

  
Sam chuckled and began reading his own menu as well, and Jo tried to not let it bother her that she was out of the loop and followed suit.

  
**_That night_ **

  
The hunt took longer than they actually expected, counting the drive there and driving back now it was already 8:00pm.

  
Sam had drifted off in the backseat, so it was just the two of them in the front seat under the moonlight.

  
Jo looked over her shoulder at Sam, "We should probably stop for the night."

  
Just as he'd hoped, there was his reason for her staying another day. "Yeah, you're probably right." He played it off casually. "We're about twenty miles away from the next town, we'll find a place there."

  
There was something very calming about this, they both noticed, driving at night down a long stretch of road, just being comfortable in each other's company.

  
"So I've been meaning to ask you, what was that thing with Sam in the diner about?"

  
"Oh, that." He rolled his eyes, "Nothing, he was just making fun of me."

  
"For what?"

  
"When we were talking he came back and saw me smiling at you, so he was making fun of me."

  
Jo let out a half-scoff half-laugh, "That's pretty immature. I would expect that from you, but not him."

  
He gave her a side-eye for that comment but breezed past it, "Yeah, well... I haven't had that many girlfriends, so when I do he reverts back to a twelve year old."

  
She thought she probably shouldn't ask this, but her curiosity got the better of her, "How many girlfriends have you had?"

  
Dean glanced at her before looking back at the road, slightly surprised at the question. "Let's just say they would all fit in this car."

  
"Come on, how many?"

  
He sighed, honestly kind of embarrassed by his answer, "Five."

  
"Well that's a lot better than me."

  
Dean smirked at her, "Oh yeah? How many boyfriends have you had?"

  
She stayed quiet.

  
"Alright, you don't have to-"

  
"No, I made you tell me... Just promise you won't make fun of me."

  
"I promise."

  
"Okay.. I've only had one."

  
" _ONE?_ " He looked over at her in shock.

  
She elbowed him in the ribs, "You promised!"

  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I just would've expected guys lined around the block to date you."

  
"I never said there weren't a lot of guys who _tried_. I just only dated one. For over a year in high school."

  
Dean paused, "What happened?"

  
"He was a grade above me and he went to college..."

  
She didn't have to explain any further, he could connect the dots. " _Oh_... I'm sorry, Jo."

  
She shrugged, "It was a long time ago... There hasn't been anyone since that I thought I could trust."

  
He cracked a smile at her, "You trust me?"

  
A smile teased at the corners of her lips, "I never said that."

  
"Well, you want to date me you must trust me." He gloated.

  
"Why do I bother telling you anything."

  
"Because you _trust me_."

  
She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head, and looked out the window.

  
He laughed to himself, but he didn't press her any further.

 

  
Once they arrived at the nearest motel, they piled out of the car and headed for the front desk.

  
"Are you guys going to be up for awhile?" Sam asked.

  
"I'm not tired," he looked to Jo for her answer.

  
"Yeah, I'm not either."

  
"Alright, then I'm getting my own room because I'm going straight to bed."

  
Before they could protest he was already at the front desk getting the keys. At least they would have seperate beds this time.

 

  
After checking in, Sam handed over their key, he retired to his own room leaving them alone in theirs.

  
Dean tossed his duffel on one of the beds and took a seat on the left end of the couch. Jo set hers on the second bed and joined him, sitting on the opposite side of the couch.

  
"I'm still too wound up to sleep." She confessed.

  
"Yeah, me too."

  
After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, "What do you usually do to blow off steam?"

  
His eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, a chuckle escaping his lips, ".... _Well-_ "

  
"Nevermind," she quickly interrupted, "Don't answer that."

  
The air was thick with tension after that, the two of them now painfully aware of what they _could_  be doing. And, let's face it, what Dean  _wished_ they were doing. But he quickly shook that idea out of his head.

  
Dean looked around the room, tapping his fingers against the arm of the couch restlessly. He stood suddenly, catching Jo's attention. "Do you want something to drink?"

  
"What do you have?"

  
He didn't actually know. "I'll check." He grabbed his keys and went out the door.

  
It suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't let her mother know she wasn't going to be coming home tonight. She pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed.

  
"Jo, I was just about to call you."

  
"Sorry, I should've called earlier. It took longer than we thought, we're staying one more night since it's kinda late."

  
"Alright, that's probably a good idea... How are you?"

  
"I'm fine, I didn't get a scratch on me. The boys kept me safe."

  
"Good... Can I talk to them?"

  
"No, they're not here."

  
"Where are they?"

  
"Dean went to go grab something from his car and Sam got his own room." Jo cursed herself just as the words left her mouth.

  
"You're sharing a room with Dean?" Her voice changed to the classic Mom Tone.

  
"It's not like that, mom, Sam just wanted to go to sleep."

  
"I gotta go."

  
"Mom-" before she could protest, her mother had already hung up. She sighed heavily, tossing her phone beside her.

  
About half a minute later, Dean came in, phone in hand. He shut the door behind him with his foot. "No, no, no, I didn't put him up to that."

  
"Oh my god, is that my mom?" Jo asked, anger simmering in her chest.

  
He nodded and she pushed herself off the couch and marched over to him, snatching the phone from his hand, "Would you leave him alone?!"

  
Dean watched and listened to Jo's end of the conversation.

  
"Then talk to me, you don't need to drag him into this. You don't believe anything he says, anyway!"

  
She scoffed, "Protect me from what?"

  
"So what if he did? I can protect myself! And you know what? Maybe I want him to!"

  
"No, I don't wanna hear it! You can't dictate my life anymore, I'm an adult. I'll see you tomorrow," She hung up the phone and handed it back to Dean. She exhaled heavily, "I'm sorry she called you. And I'm sorry you had to hear that."

  
"It's fine... are you okay?"

  
"Where are the drinks?" She said as she noticed he came back empty handed, ignoring his question.

  
"Oh yeah, I guess we're all out."

  
"Let's go get a drink." She grabbed her wallet from her bag, "I'm buying."

  
He smirked, "A woman after my own heart."

 

  
Once they arrived at the bar, Jo sat at a booth while Dean ordered for them.

  
A guy sat down across from her, "Hey," he wore an obnoxious confidence, almost as obnoxious as his cologne.

  
"I'm not in the mood." She looked towards the bar to check if Dean was coming back soon.

  
"Lookin for someone?"

  
"Something like that." She could just as easily say that she has a boyfriend and he might just leave, but she wanted to see what Dean would do to this guy.

  
He kept trying lines on her as Dean approached, too self absorbed to notice that he was right beside him now.

  
Dean set the drinks down, the glasses making a loud, and purposeful, thud. "You're in my seat." He said in a commanding tone of voice Jo had never heard before, and she liked it. She pulled the drinks towards her and started drinking one as she watched this unfold.

  
The guy stood, he was maybe an inch or two shorter than Dean. He had muscles, but it was clear by his Abercrombie look that he never actually used them.

  
"I was here first, man."

  
"Yeah? What's her name?"

  
He drew a blank, "Lisa?"

  
Jo chortled, "Not even close."

  
"Whatever, like she'd even go for a guy like you anyway. She needs a strong man who can protect her. Not some Ken doll with a broken wing."

  
Dean shot an amused glance at Jo before meeting his eyes again, "Then there's only one way to settle this. Fight me. Hand-to-hand."

  
The guy chuckled, "You really wanna do this, dude?"

  
"Yeah, I think I do."

  
"If you say so. You can go first, since you got a broken arm and all. I don't want it to be too unfair."

  
"No, you first. I insist." His tone was like the calm before the storm. He looked cool on the outside but Jo could see he was boiling on the inside.

  
The guy threw a punch and Dean caught his fist, twisting his arm behind his back and slammed him down onto the table. He leaned in close behind him and said in a low voice in his ear, "I dislocated my shoulder in a fight. The other guy didn't make it. Consider yourself lucky I've only got one arm right now."

  
Dean let him go, the guy pushed himself off the table, and hurried out of the bar.

  
Dean sat down across from Jo and grabbed his drink. Jo was speechless. If she was being honest, that was the hottest thing she'd ever seen. If she was being more honest, she was glad they were in public because she's not sure what she would've done otherwise. She just focused on her ice cold drink.

  
The bartender came over, "I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."

  
"Oh, come on, that guy wouldn't leave her alone. He was asking for it."

  
"Doesn't matter." He crossed his arms, "We have a no violence policy here. You gotta go."

  
Dean pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and got up, he sighed and left some cash on the table before he walked out with Jo.

  
"I'm sorry, Jo, I shouldn't've-" Jo cut him off, crashing her lips to his and pushing him against the cold brick of the building. He noticed the way she kissed him was different this time, it was hard and urgent. He pulled her flush against him and ran his hand up to tangle in her hair. She pulled away a couple inches, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Thank you for defending me."

  
"Hey, it was my pleasure. That guy had it coming."

  
Jo smiled, "Why couldn't my mom have seen that?" She paused for a second in thought, "I'll tell her about it tomorrow. I don't think it'd be a good idea to call her tonight."

  
"Probably not."

  
They stared at each other for a few seconds, "So... What now?" Dean asked, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

  
"Well... I still owe you a few drinks, since you just paid. Why don't we stop at a store somewhere?"

  
"Deal."

 

  
They ended up finding a liquor store and parked off the side of a desolate road where the sky was free of light pollution. They sat on the hood, Dean on the right, Jo on the left, gazing up at the infinite stars above them. Dean left the car running, with the radio playing softly.

  
Dean looked at her for a moment before he spoke up, "Jo?"

  
"Hm?" She replied without taking her eyes off the sky.

  
"I don't want to just drop you off tomorrow."

  
"Oh, don't worry about it, my mom and I will be fine. We've had worse fights."

  
"No, that's not it, uh... What I mean is... I want you to stay."

  
She stopped and turned to him, "Really?"

  
"Yeah. I mean, if _you_ want to."

  
Jo smiled, "Dean Winchester, are you growing soft on me?"

  
"No..." He defended, "I'm just sick of being stuck in the car with Sam all the time."

  
She snickered at his obvious lie, "I don't know... I mean, I would love to, I want to keep hunting, but, you know my mom..."

  
"I can handle your mom."

  
Jo raised her eyebrows, "Seriously?"

  
"Yeah. I might as well, she's already going to be pissed at me."

  
"Have you figured out what you're going to tell her yet?"

  
"I might tell her /you kissed me/, because I come off a lot better that way. Other than that, I have no idea."

  
"I'm not sure she'd believe that."

  
"Yeah, probably not," he chuckled.

  
They stared off at the stars silently again. Jo outstretched her arm behind her, leaning against it. Dean did the same, placing his hand on top of hers.

  
She looked over at the touch of his hand, meeting eyes with him. For some reason, it gave him butterflies.

  
Maybe sitting on the hood of his car with a girl reminded him of high school, or the slow song playing one the radio. Maybe it was how the moonlight illuminated her features, cascading down her wavy hair, making her eyes sparkle. Maybe it's been way too long since he got laid. Or... maybe this wasn't just a crush anymore.

  
A smile tugged at Jo's lips, "Are you okay?"

  
"Yeah, why?" He lied.

  
"Your hand is clammy." She was fully grinning now, clearly she enjoyed this. "Are you nervous?"

  
"What? No," He took his hand away, wiping it against his jeans, "I'm just... sweaty, I guess."

  
"Is that any better?" Jo teased.

  
He took a sip of his beer to, hopefully, calm his nerves.

  
"What are you nervous about?" She continued to poke fun at him.

  
"I don't know." he dismissed in frustration, avoiding eye contact.

  
"Dean," she nudged his shoulder playfully, "Relax, I'm just teasing. I thought it was cute."

  
Jo slid closer and leaned against him. He smiled and put his arm around her.

  
"Tonight's been really great," Jo admitted, "Not your typical kind of date, but this was better."

  
"Wait, this was a date? Why didn't you tell me? I would've wore my sexy underwear."

  
She fought a smile, "Shut up."

  
Dean laughed, "I had fun tonight too.... Come here," he laid back against the windshield. Jo cuddled up beside him, laying her head back against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her again, and rested his head against hers.

  
They stayed like this for an hour, mostly in silence. Jo held his right hand and Dean dragged his fingers lightly over her arm every so often with his left. That, the radio playing softly behind them, and feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath just felt so peaceful and warm. If she could take moments like this and bottle them up, keeping them on a shelf, she would.

  
Dean felt the same. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done anything like this. He could've laid here with her forever. Unfortunately, they had to leave at some point.

  
Eventually, they had to drive back to their motel and try to get some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you enjoyed, or if you have an idea for something to happen next! Chapter 3 coming soon! :)


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